


The truth in the lie

by appleslovetea



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-06-28 05:31:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19805749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appleslovetea/pseuds/appleslovetea
Summary: Asami Ryuichi is about to learn that not all of his plans are brilliant...





	1. PART I

The traffic collision was a pretty bad one, involving a total of twenty vehicles, including a school bus and a truck loaded with chemical waste.

The police claimed it was too soon to start pointing fingers at probable causes, and that the investigation regarding the onset of the tragedy was still ongoing, but the media were quick to blame the calamity on the bad weather conditions, coupled with the deficient state of the inner city highway, which everyone knew was long overdue on rehabilitation work.

Most news' outlets kept claiming it was a miracle only two people had died as a result of the accident.

As for the injured, who amounted to a staggering number of forty-three, these were swiftly distributed throughout Tokyo's main hospitals in the early hours that followed the tragedy.

One week into the accident, and three people remained in critical condition.

It took Asami himself five days to wake up from his coma.

He resurfaced from it in stages, popping in and out of consciousness without really being able to recognize his surroundings at first.

Eventually, however, he was able to piece together sufficient details to allow him to understand that he was lying on an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room.

From there, it was a no-brainer to figure out he was in a hospital.

The business man tried hard to make sense of his fragmented memories, in an attempt to recall what on earth had happened to land him at his present location, but his mind was nothing short of a foggy mess.

The last thing he remembered was finishing up an afternoon meeting at the Ginza offices of Sion Corporation, but that was about it. The rest of the day was a complete blur to him.

Wincing, he eventually managed to roll onto his back and push his head and shoulders up from the hospital bed. The sensation of the room going round and round was truly annoying, but at least it provided him with some sort of distraction from the multiple jolts of pain he was beginning to feel all throughout his body, now that his muscles were 'awakening' too.

After assessing he was still in one piece, Asami looked up towards the IV pole positioned next to the bed, which connected to the back of his hand by a long, clear tube.

Great, drugs!

No wonder he felt nauseous from the moment he regained his consciousness. His body always reacted badly when it was under meds.

He glanced across the room at what appeared to be a bathroom, and on queue felt an irresistible urge to throw up.

Whatever medical concoction he had been put under, had definitely messed up with his stomach.

As Asami began to move his legs towards the edge of the bed, he was aware that what he was about to attempt to do was most likely a very bad idea, but he'd be damned if he was to vomit all over the hospital bed. He needed to at least make it to the bathroom's sink.

After a couple of deep breaths he grabbed hold of the IV pole in order to steady himself.

His feet carefully stepped on the floor tiles; his body weight easing onto his legs;… his knees buckling instantly.

Cursing, the business man pushed himself back up onto the bed, all the while closing his eyes and steadying his breath; hoping against hope the queasiness taking hold of his stomach would soon pass.

He surveilled the room, trying to find some point of interest that could distract him for a bit, and a second later forgot all about his queasiness.

Turns out he wasn't alone inside the hospital room after all.

A young man lay sleeping, curled up on a chair on the other side of the bed, his head resting at an odd angle against his knees.

A wave of unrest rushed through Asami at the sight of the youth.

What was Akihito doing at the hospital? Had he been injured too?

Yet a more studious gaze quickly showed Asami that he was the only one in the room sporting a patient's garb.

The photographer mumbled something in his sleep right about then, but before Asami had time to fully get over the surprise of seeing the younger man, the door to the room opened and Kirishima Key walked in.

"Asami-sama!" The man exclaimed; relief more than evident in his voice.

His boss straightened up his back, albeit with some difficulty.

"You sound as if I've returned from the dead, Kirishima." Asami said; his voice raspy.

His assistant flushed for a moment. "Well, sir, you kind of did in a way… You've been in a coma ever since the car accident."

"What car acid…" As soon as the words left Asami's mouth though, the memory of the event in question hit him full on.

"…How long was I out?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"Five days, sir."

"...That long?!" He didn't feel as though he had been unconscious for so many days.

"You hit your head pretty badly during the collision, sir." Kirishima explained. "It seems you were not wearing your seatbelt at the time." The slight accusing tone in his voice did not go unnoticed, but it was not like Asami was in any mood to start quarrelling with his assistant on account of the case. "The limo got stuck between two other vehicles. It took the firefighters over three hours to get you out of the vehicle safely." Kirishima added.

"What about Suoh? He was driving the limo at the time." Asami suddenly recalled.

"He only sustained a broken wrist, sir. He's been at home resting this whole time."

Asami's mind was still foggy, but through the haze of broken memories, he was beginning to recall the sound of people screaming all around him, as well as the smell of gasoline mixed with that of burnt tires and smoke.

"You were very lucky, Asami-sama." Kirishima added, confirming his boss' suspicion. "The passenger of the car next to the limo wasn't so. The firefighters weren't able to get to her on time."

The business man nodded silently, his eyes diverting towards Akihito once again.

"What about him?"

Kirishima followed the direction of his boss' gaze. "Oh, Takaba-kun? He's been here ever since you were transferred from ICU. I can't get him to leave."

Asami frowned. "How long ago was that?"

"Four days ago, sir. Takaba-kun hasn't left this room ever since then. Not even to get food. He eats whatever the nurses bring him, and sleeps on that very chair." The assistant sighed tiredly. "At one point he was even refusing to leave your side to go to the bathroom. I had to threaten to call a nurse to get him a bedpan. He just wouldn't move away from you."

A smile made its way to Asami's lips. "Wouldn't he, huh?" He said, taking in the sight of the young man's sleeping form.

"How are you feeling, sir?"

"Like shit, Kirishima." Was Asami's deadpan answer, as his gaze returned to his assistant.

"Glad to see your sense of humor wasn't affected by the accident, Asami-sama." He replied amused. "I should go and alert your physician that you're awake though. She'll no doubt want to run some tests on you."

His boss sighed dejectedly. If there was one thing that Asami Ryuichi abhorred in this world, that thing was doctors. "I suppose I'll have to see one eventually in order to get out of this place..." He added with a nod of his head, but as Kirishima was preparing to leave the room to fetch medical attention, Asami's eyes fell on Akihito once more. "Give me ten minutes though, Kirishima." He added. "Before you let anyone else in the room, that is."

"Very well, sir." His assistant replied with a respectful bow.

Asami waited until he heard the door to the room being shut, and slowly moved towards the edge of the bed, sitting right in front of Akihito.

Now that his memories were slowly returning, he also recalled the huge fight he had had with the photographer on the morning of the car accident.

The reason for the fight was perfectly justified, mind you... At least when it came to Asami's point of view.

By sheer accident it had come to the latter's knowledge that Akihito was in deep trouble with a pretty dangerous faction of the Yamaguchi- _gumi_. And all because of a set of incriminating photos that the young photographer had recently taken of the group's _kumichō,_ whilst the yakuza boss engaged in some illicit affairs.

If released nationwide, the photos could very well represent the demise of the highly-regarded _kumichō_ , and according to Asami's informers, who kept him up-to-date on the proceedings of Tokyo's underworld, the _yakuza_ were hell bent on preventing such a release from happening altogether.

Which meant that Akihito was once again the target of a criminal organization. Which in itself invariably led to a monumental argument between the two lovers, as Asami repeatedly tried to dissuade Akihito from delivering the mentioned photos to his news' agency.

Things had escalated quickly from there. What had started off as a reasonable discussion regarding Akihito's safety had soon turned into a bitter squabble focused on how Asami somehow kept finding ways to undermine the photographer's ascension on the professional ladder.

And not even angry sex had managed to assuage the lovers' angry tempers this time around.

Asami had left home on the day of the accident all but fuming with rage, whilst Akihito, on his part, had stormed out of the master suite and into his own bedroom very much still stark naked and yelling at the top of his lungs that he was packing his bags and leaving the penthouse for good.

And now here he was, sleeping on an uncomfortable hospital chair, seemingly refusing to leave Asami's side.

The latter sighed. He knew Akihito well enough to be aware that the apparent truce in their quarrel was only temporary though.

The minute Akihito woke up and realized that the older man was safe and sound, he would no doubt be storming out of the hospital room, hurling insults at Asami's possessive nature along the way.

And then the business man's worries regarding the photographer's safety would start all over again...

_Unless..._

Unless there was a way to somehow make sure Akihito wouldn't leave his side in the coming weeks...

Sporting a sudden michievous grin, Asami placed his hands on the chair's armrests, and leaned his torso so that his face was hovering just above the photographer's head.

"Akihito." He whispered. " _Oi_ , Akihito, wake up."

The boy stirred in his sleep, but that was about it.

The older man leaned further down, whispering the photographer's name again, but this time right next to the latter's ear.

That managed to do the trick. Akihito woke up with a start, nearly bumping the side of his face against Asami's nose.

He seemed disoriented for a few seconds, looking all round him in surprise, but it didn't take long for the photographer's eyes to fall on the older man, who in the meantime had resumed his sitting position on the edge of the bed.

"A…Asami!" Akihito called out, his voice faltering for the briefest of seconds. "Y-You're awake!" He added; relief splattered all over his features.

The other man, however, looked back at him with a blank expression.

"Do I know you?" Asami asked with a frown.

Akihito's eyes widened at the unexpected question.

"What?! W-What do you mean?"

Asami's head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "Have we met before? What are you doing in this room?"

The young man gasped. "Y-You don't remember me?"

Instead of answering, the business man just kept staring at him.

"Are you a nurse, young man?... Or a doctor, perhaps?" He asked. "Could you please explain to me what it is I am doing in this room? I don't seem to recall how I came to be in it."

Akihito panicked at the words. "D-Don't worry, Asami. I-I'll go fetch someone." He announced readily, jumping to his feet and all but running towards the door. "S-Stay where you are. I'll go get help."

He was out of the room and calling out for a nurse in a matter of seconds.

It took Asami a few seconds to figure out that the unusual feeling that overwhelmed him as he watched the young man's back disappear outside the room was, for lack of a better word, _guilt_ , but he swiftly managed to push the uncomfortable feeling aside.

After all, his plan had everything in its favor to succeed. Certainly all would go well... _wouldn't it_?

**(to be continued...)**


	2. PART II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your interest in the story :) I forgot to mention in the first chapter that this fanfic takes place right after Aki first moved in with Asami, which means that they are not as certain of the other’s feelings as they are in the current story arc, hence some of the awkwardness you will see in this fanfic between them. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter! Happy readings :D

Two days and countless medical exams later, Asami found himself standing next to Kirishima whilst the two of them waited for the private elevator that connected his building's garage to the luxurious penthouse apartment up on the 40th floor.

The business man was dressed in a classic three piece suit, looking perfectly well-groomed, just as he would have looked had he been arriving home after a day's worth of work at the office.

Such was not the case though; his previous engagement having been a week-long stint at Tokyo University Hospital. In fact, his assistant had just picked him up from the medical facility, having previously dealt with all of the necessary discharge papers on behalf of his boss.

Kirishima Key was known to be a quiet man; one whose thoughts and emotions were difficult to guess, but today he was visibly brooding. A change, which although Asami found amusing, also meant that the man was concealing something from him.

"Speak up, Kirishima." The older man said as they boarded the elevator. "I know that look on your face. What is it that you wish to tell me?"

Caught off guard, the assistant coughed to clear his throat.

"Well sir," He started, adjusting the position of his glasses against the bridge of his nose. "to be totally honest, I just don't understand why you would feel the need to make Takaba-kun believe that you have-."

"I told you already, we had a fight." His boss explained. "On the day of the accident. Takaba threatened to leave the penthouse as a result of it. He's currently in danger because of those photos I told you about. I can't risk having him walk out from under my wing until this whole mess with the Yamaguchi- _gumi_ is sorted out."

"Hm...I see."

Asami couldn't help but smile at his assistant's ominous facial expression. "Come on, what else do you wish to tell me?" The business man urged him on.

"If you insist sir," Kirishima continued. "...don't you think that you and Takaba-kun might end up having an even _bigger_ fight when he finds out you're faking your amnesia?"

Asami frowned. "It's not like I intend for him to find out."

Kirishima's blank expression led the business man to elaborate on his last comment.

"You heard my doctor, Kirishima. Temporary amnesia is quite common as a result of the type of situation I've just been through. And it's not like I plan to drag this farce for long. A few days at the most. Just until I can fix things with the _yakuza_. After that, I'll simply 'regain' my memories. Takaba will never need to know the truth."

For some reason the other man didn't seem at all hopeful of the success of the endeavor. Perhaps he too was by then well acquainted with Akihito's personality, and therefore was convinced the photographer would not take the case at all lightly, if he were to ever find out he'd been played with in such a manner.

"From what I understood sir, Takaba-kun is convinced your amnesia is close to total, correct?"

His boss nodded. "In the sense that I don't recall anyone I know, nor do I remember most aspects regarding my life and professional situation, yes."

The older man could have sworn he heard Kirishima's sigh then. But " _Good luck, sir._ " ended up being the only thing the assistant said to him in return.

Before Asami had a chance to enquire as to the cryptic wish though, the elevator bell rang and its doors opened, directly opposing the entrance of the business man's penthouse.

To both men's surprise, Akihito was standing by the open front door; an expectant look on his face.

"Ah, Takaba-kun!" Kirishima exclaimed, being the first one to recover from the unexpected encounter. "You're home early today!" He exclaimed in a somewhat hostile manner.

In truth, he had hoped to have a bit more time alone with his boss in order to discuss some of the practical aspects of the latter's so called 'amnesia'.

"Hm, y-yeah, I guess." The photographer replied; suddenly embarassed. "I took the afternoon off." He explained. "I wanted to be here when Asami arrived. I...I heard the elevator moving, that's why I opened the door. I thought it might be you coming back from the hospital."

Kirishima then turned to his employer. "Would you like me to go in with you, sir? Perhaps help you to settle in?" He offered.

"That's ok, Kirishima. I can always ask Takaba to help me with that. If he doesn't mind, of course." Asami said whilst directing his gaze onto Akihito, who quickly nodded in reply.

"I suppose I'll meet you again tomorrow at 10 am." He added, turning his attention back towards his assistant. "I'm looking forward to the tour of Sion headquarters."

Kirishima stared at him blankly for a moment. "What tour, sir?" And then as if remembering something important: "Ah yes! The _tour_ of Sion headquarters!" He exclaimed suddenly. "You need me to give you a tour of the office because you don't _remember_ it. That makes sense."

Realizing his comment had sounded awfully bizarre though, he quickly added: "I'll be leaving you now then, Asami-sama." And handing his boss a small travel bag: "Your clothes and toiletries, sir. From the hospital." He told him, whilst bowing respectfully. "I bid you goodnight, sir."

Asami stared at Kirishima with a frown up until the moment when the elevator doors closed. Come morning, he would have to have another talk with his assistant. Perhaps while his fake amnesia played out, it would be best if Kirishima did not interact with him in front of Akihito again. Judging by what Asami had just witnessed, the man wasn't much of an actor and might end up hindering his plan.

"Hm,... Asami?"

Akihito's voice interrupted the business man's musings.

Turning once again towards the entrance of the penthouse, Asami saw the photographer rubbing his arms with his hands. "...Don't you want to come inside?” The latter asked. “It's pretty cold out here."

Asami replied with a nod, walking past Akihito straight onto the _genkan_.

He listened as the photographer locked the door behind him, taking advantage of the opportunity to survey his surroundings with interest.

"So this is where I live, huh?" He asked, letting his gaze rest on the expensive artwork decorating the entryway walls.

"Yes." Akihito answered with a nod.

"How big is this place?"

"Pretty big. It has four bedrooms, an office, a tatami room, and three bathrooms, aside from the one in the master suite. There’s also a laundry room, a kitchen and a large living room. Ah yes, and an enormous balcony that goes around almost all of the entire apartment."

Asami looked impressed. "Sounds nice."

"You also own the downstairs apartment."

"Do I?!"

For a second the business man feared he might have exaggerated on his faked surprise, but Akihito didn't seem to find the question at all strange.

"Yeah," He answered helpfully. "but it's empty."

"How come?" The business man asked in a more relaxed manner, seeing Akihito shrug in reply.

"I don't really know. You never told me."

"And do you know how long I've been living here?"

"For a couple of years, I assume."

"You're not sure?"

"No...Not really."

Asami walked in the direction of the Dali lithograph adorning one of the walls, pretending to admire it for the first time. "...Kirishima told me you live here too. Is that true?" He asked after a moment of silence, without really shifting his gaze away from the artwork.

A pink hue suddenly appeared on the younger man's cheeks, and he nodded, seemingly embarrassed.

"Yeah, I've been living here for a few weeks now."

"I see...Why is that?"

The hue turned into a blush.

"What... What do you mean?"

Asami turned his head then, looking straight into the younger man's eyes; an innocent expression on his face. "I mean, why is it that you're living here with me?"

"W-Well... You see..." The photographer began stammering. "We're sort of... housemates. Yeah, that's it, we're housemates!" He nodded, as if to further confirm the veracity of his statement. "I take care of all the housekeeping chores, and you let me stay here free of rent."

But Asami frowned upon hearing the comment. "You do housekeeping work? I thought you had told me you were a photographer back when I was still at the hospital."

"And I am!" Akihito quickly interjected. "I take care of all of the housekeeping stuff after work."

"...I see." Asami said, tilting his head slightly to the side. "And do you like living here with me?"

The question seemed to bewilder Akihito for a second, but then the shadow of a smile graced his lips.

"Did I say something funny?" The other man asked, genuinely surprised by the youth's reaction.

But the photographer quickly shook his head in reply. "No. That's not it..." He told him. "It's just that... you don't usually ask that kind of questions."

"Don't I? My apologies then."

This time it was Akihito who looked straight into Asami's eyes. "...You don't usually apologize for anything you say either." He said quietly.

The unexpected observation gave Asami pause, causing him to stare in silence at Akihito, until the latter, seemingly uncomfortable by the sudden change of atmosphere, moved in to take the travel bag from the business man's hand.

"Here. Let me put that away for you." He said, changing the subject. "Why don't you go take a bath? I turned on the heather in the bathroom a while ago."

Asami eyed the several doors lined across the hallway.

"Where...?"

"Third door on the left. You normally like to take baths in that bathroom. It has the biggest tub out of all of them."

Asami nodded quietly, directing his steps towards the mentioned door.

That is, until he heard Akihito's voice.

"Asami..." The photographer called out shyly.

The business man looked over his shoulder to find Akihito still standing on the _genkan_ and clutching his travel bag in his arms; a faint trace of pink still tinting his cheeks.

"I'm glad you're back home." The young man said.

"Thank you." Asami found himself answering back. "...I'm glad to be back.”

And to his amazement, his usual stern and impassive heart, unexpectedly jolted inside his chest, as if in agreement.

**(to be continued...)**


	3. PART III

Forty minutes later, Asami stepped out of the bathroom freshly washed and sporting a pair of sweatpants and a form fitting t-shirt he'd found in the bathroom's linen closet.

At least _found_ was what, if asked, he planned to tell Akihito. The business man knew very well where his loungewear was kept, after all.

"Takaba?" He called out, surprised to find the hallway outside the bathroom pitch black.

"I'm in the dining room."

The photographer had just about finished setting up the dinner table when Asami reached the doorway.

"Oh, you found your clothes!" He exclaimed surprised, whilst surveying the other man's attire.

"Yes, I rummaged through some of the drawers in the bathroom and spotted these.” Asami explained. "I assume they're mine."

"Well, they're definitely not mine!" The younger man answered with a chuckle. "They're way too big for me."

"Is this something I'd wear then?"

"Yep." Akihito nodded in reply. "That or a house robe are the standard Asami Ryuichi wardrobe choices after a bath. You did well!"

The perfect smile that graced Akihito's lips when he said so, nearly caused Asami to blow his cover altogether. In fact, it took the business man every ounce of control he could muster at that moment to stop himself from closing the distance that separated them, and kissing the younger man to within an inch of his life.

He clearly had not anticipated the negative impacts his fake amnesia would have on himself… Not being able to touch Akihito being number 1 on the list!

When he noticed the younger man frowning though, no doubt as a result of whatever odd expression his face was conveying at the time, he pulled himself together, quickly managing to change the focus of the photographer’s attention.

"Mm, it smells nice." He said in a casual manner, acknowledging for the first time the scent of spices wafting through the air. "Is something cooking on the stove?"

"Yes, actually. I've just finished cooking yakisoba."

Unfortunately for Asami, he wasn't able to stop himself in time from saying out loud: "Really? That's my favorite dish."

"Yes! _Yes_ , it is. You remembered!" Akihito exclaimed with glee. "I was hoping you would. That's why I cooked it tonight."

"Don't say?...Thank you for that." Asami retorted, deep down wanting to kick himself for the inadvertent slip of the tongue.

"I guess the doctors were right. Your memory can really be triggered if you're faced with familiar things."

"I suppose that's... fortunate." The business man said, with what he hoped was perceived to be a genuine smile.

"Wait here! I'll go get the food."

As soon as Akihito was out of the door though, Asami cursed under his breath.

If he didn't manage to check himself properly from then on, he wouldn't even need Kirishima around to sabotage his plan. He was perfectly capable of doing it on his own, it seemed.

* * *

***Sometime later on***

"Mm, the yakisoba tasted amazing." Asami said, placing his chopsticks next to the empty food bowl. "You're a very good cook, Takaba."

Across the dining table from him, Akihito's cheeks flared. "T-Thanks." The young man replied sheepishly.

"So tell me something."

"What?"

"How long have we known each other for?"

Akihito bit his lower lip while musing on the answer. "Hm... for about a year and a half, I think."

"And did we meet through work?"

The young man choked on his food as soon as the question left Asami's lips. "Boy, you really don't remember anything, do you?" He asked, coughing against his napkin.

"I suppose not." Asami confessed with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "...Am I wrong then to assume we met through work?"

Akihito once again adopted a pensive expression. "Well, I guess in a way you could say that we met because of our jobs, yes." And seeing as Asami looked at him with an intrigued expression, he added: "I took some photos of you while I was on a job assignment. You didn't like it."

But Asami smiled at the deadpan remark. "I can't have hated it though. We're living together."

"Well...some other stuff happened in the meantime too." The photographer muttered quietly; his cheeks once again flaming red.

"Besides," He ended up adding. "if I'm to be totally honest here, I was kind of coerced into living here. You didn't give me much of a choice to begin with."

"Oh? How so?"

"You had your bodyguards empty my apartment and dump all of my stuff in the penthouse's guest room. Without asking my permission, of course."

"Really?!" Asami asked with interest. "I sound like I'm a terrible person."

He watched as Akihito hid a grin behind the edge of his drinking glass. "You have your moments." He said, just before taking a sip of water.

"So how come you never left?"

The business man's question wasn't the least bit innocent, of course. But it was not like Akihito was in any position to understand the true intentions behind it.

"Hm...can't say I haven't tried." Akihito mumbled against the glass.

"Sorry. What was that?"

"Oh, I was just saying that rent in Tokyo is kind of a bitch right now. By staying here, I'm actually saving up on a lot of money. Besides, we both have pretty busy lives and are rarely together in the apartment at the same time. It's not like we get in each other's nerves all the time."

"I see... I'm rarely here then. Is that right?"

Akihito confirmed the statement with a nod.

"It's pretty rare for you to come home before 2 am actually."

"And... does that upset you?"

It was clear from the photographer's instant frown that he found the question odd. "Why would it upset me? I don't have anything to do with your life!" He shrugged. "You're free to come home whenever you want to. It's your apartment, not mine."

"What's so funny?" He asked a moment later when Asami started chuckling under his breath.

"You are, that's all." The latter replied, and then a bit more seriously, he added: "My apologies Takaba. It wasn't my intention to ask intrusive questions of you. Rest assured I won't do it again."

"Whatever." Akihito shrugged, but something about his demeanor sparked the business man's interest.

"What is it?" The business man asked; head slightly tilted to the side as he looked the photographer over.

"...Nothing."

"No, it's not _nothing_. That much I can tell. What's on your mind?"

"It's just... _Takaba_ this, and _Takaba_ that. You call me Akihito when we're alone, you know? Not Takaba."

"Do I?" Asami feigned surprise.

"Yes... But I suppose you shouldn't feel obliged to. Takaba's fine... I guess." The photographer added, whilst massaging the back of his neck with his hand; a sign the older man knew meant he was feeling embarrassed with himself. "You know, just forget I said anything. I'm just still getting used to this whole amnesia business, that’s all."

"Are we close,... Akihito?"

"Huh? W-What do mean?"

"I mean, we must be close if I call you by your given name when we're alone."

"Well...That is...I guess you could say that we are," And then he added; voice barely louder than a whisper: "...in a way."

"Are we friends then?"

"Friends?!" Akihito snickered under his breath. "I don't think friends argue as much as we do."

"We argue a lot with each other, do we? What about?"

"Many different things... You're not an easy person to live with."

"Am I not?" Asami grinned. "Perhaps _you_ are not an easy person to live with either."

Akihito was about to retort, but the other man beat him to it: "By the way, do you know if I have a girlfriend?"

The look of utter shock on the young man's face nearly caused Asami to laugh out loud.

"W-What...?"

"Well, I'm assuming I don't have a _wife_. What with you living here and all, it would be somewhat awkward. Besides, if I had a wife, I'm sure someone would have mentioned her to me by now." Asami reasoned. "Seeing as we live together though, I just assumed I might have mentioned any love interests to you in passing."

The photographer just stared at him blankly.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Do I?"

"Do you, what?"

"Do I have a girlfriend?"

"Huh, I don't know! It's not like you confide in me stuff like that. I mean, no, _no_ , you don't. You definitely don't!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm pretty sure you don't have a girlfriend."

"A lover then, perhaps?"

By then, Akihito's cheeks were every shade of crimson rolled into one.

"How am I supposed to know that?!"

"Do you mean you've never seen me bring anyone home with me?"

"No."

"Not even a one night stand?"

"No!"

"...Interesting." Asami exclaimed with a raised eyebrow. "It seems my love life is a lot less exciting than I thought."

Akihito huffed but that ended up being the extent of his reaction to the comment. For a moment, the older man entertained the idea of teasing him further, but the photographer ended up turning the tables on him.

"So that apartment tour you asked me to give to you? Are you still interested in it?" He asked drily.

"Of course. If it's not too much trouble." Asami replied, trying his best not to smile.

He could tell the other man was pissed off, no matter how well Akihito tried to hide it from him.

"No prob." Akihito shrugged unconcerned. "We wouldn't want you to end up sleeping in the bathtub just because you can't remember where your bed is."

Judging from Akihito's devious grin, Asami was left with the impression that there was more to Akihito's remark than a simple joke.

* * *

Fast forward a few hours and Asami was comfortably installed in the privacy of his lavish master suite.

Instead of calling it a night though, the business man waited until the penthouse was dead silent, and picking up his iPhone, he dialed Kirishima's business phone number.

"Yes, Asami-sama. How can I be of service to you?" The assistant readily greeted him, despite the late hour.

"My apologies for calling you so late in the day Kirishima, but I just wanted to check what you've been able to accomplish with the Yamaguchi-gumi representative in the last few hours." Asami said, sticking his head out of the master suite's doorway, and surveying the dark hallway.

"Yes, of course, sir. You will be happy to learn that the kumichō is open to negotiations on the matter surrounding Takaba-kun's photos." His assistant told him. "I've arranged for you to have a meeting with the kumichō’s representative tomorrow afternoon in order to discuss the terms of a possible deal to sort out Takaba-kun's current...dilemma, shall we say. However, sir,..."

Asami paused halfway down the hallway. "What?" He had been anticipating a 'but' in his assistant's report.

"I'm afraid the kumichō is gunning for the rights over Sion's newly acquired property in Seul as a means to settle the dispute."

Asami sighed. "I had a feeling he might be after that property. It's located quite close to the Yamaguchi-gumi's operating center in South Korea." The deal in question had cost Asami's company over 10M yen. It was, all in all, and amazing real estate investment and one that was sure to bring Sion fruitful and secure profits in the future. No wonder the yakuza were so eager to get their hands on it.

His pause only lasted a moment though. "So be it then. I'll hand over the property's rights to the kumichō is he agrees not to retaliate against Akihito on account of the photos. Make sure you pass on that information to his representative prior to tomorrow's meeting."

"But, sir, we've spent over a year working on that deal!"

"Not subject to discussion, Kirishima."

Asami heard his assistant sigh on the other side of the line.

"Sir," The younger man nevertheless tried to reason with his boss. "as much as even I have come to tolerate the youth, I hope you are aware that even if Takaba-kun is to escape unscathed from this incident, it will only be a matter of time until he throws himself head on into the next one. He has no boundaries sir, let alone any sense of danger. He is a walking self-menace."

"I know that, Kirishima." Asami said, stopping short of Akihito's bedroom door and turning its handle so that the slightest gap opened up between the door and its frame.

The photographer's bed was a mess of wrinkled bed sheets, courtesy of the numerous times the former had tossed and turned in bed before falling asleep. In fact, he was now sleeping diagonally on the mattress, stomach facing down, faced buried on a pillow, arm hanging over the edge of the bed.

"I'm apparently doomed to keep saving him." He said, pulling the comforter up and over Akihito's body. "But I've made my peace with it long ago."

"I assume your amnesia is still in place, sir?"

"Yes, it is. Very much so. And you will be glad to learn that Takaba does not suspect I'm faking it in the slightest."

"Well sir, if all goes well at tomorrow's meeting, your amnesia is looking at a speedy recovery rate."

"Hm...We’ll see about that." Asami replied, sitting in bed beside Akihito's sleeping form.

As if sensing his presence, the photographer snuggled closer to him; the young man's fingers even going so far as to grab hold of the business man's pajama pants.

"What do you mean, sir?" Kirishima’s intrigued voice reached him from the other side of the line.

"Let's just say that this amnesia has so far given me the opportunity to find out some very interesting things."

"Interesting things, sir?"

"Yes, Kirishima. I'll talk to you again tomorrow."

The call ended just as Akihito mumbled Asami's name in his sleep.

On hearing it the older man leaned down, placing a kiss on Akihito's temple. "Some very interesting things indeed..." He added with a smile.

  
**(to be continued…)**


End file.
